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Copyrighted, 1885, 

By R. DUNLAP & CO 



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LOCKWOOI) PRK8S, 126 & 128 Duane St., New York. 



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R SHORT TREaTISE 



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HEAD-WEAR« 

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^^^RACING the history of man as far back as we can 
(p under civilized conditions of life, we find that in one 
form or another he has made use of some artificial con- 
trivance to protect his head. 

Nature, in her bounty, seems to have provided in part 
against the necessity of the hat, by giving to the head a 
thick and abundant covering of hair, but, instead of con- 
sidering this as an indication that the head required no 
other protection, mankind seems rather to have regarded 
it as a hint to keep this most important part of the body 
well covered. 

The hat being the most conspicuous article of dress, 
and surmounting all the rest, it is only natural to find that 
from the earliest times special care and attention has been 
given to its adornment — showy plumes, rare jewels and 
rich bands of gold and silver being used at different pe- 
riods to decorate it. 

Its form and frequently its color have also been made 
to designate the rank and character of the wearer: As the 
Monarch by his crown, the Cardinal by his red hat, which 
betokens his readiness to spill his blood at any time for the 
sake of Christ, and the court fool by his cap with bells. In 



one form it serves to designate the m. i ; ii. r 

other the peaceful Quaker or the quiet m..a of ietiers. 

The materials employed in the manufacture of hats have 
been variou^j stuffs of every kind and color having en- 
tered into their composition. The birds have been nibbed 
of their brilliant plumage, the beasts of the field ot 
wool and hair. Amphibious creatures have yielded thcd 
fur, while the mines of the earth have given up precious 
metals and stones. All these have been used by man to 
make a suitable covering for his august head. Felt 
hats are by far the most ancient, silk hats being of quite 
recent introduction. They were known in Florence about 
a century ago, but were not introduced into France until 
1825. 

Tradition ascribes the discovery of felting to St. Clem- 
ent. It occurred in this manner: While on one of his 
charity missions, becoming weary and foot-sore, he took off 
his sandals to ease his feet, which were all bruised from 
long walking over rough roads. While resting by the way- 
side an opportunity was afforded him of rescuing a little 
lamb from the cruel clutches of a wily fox that was pursu- 
ing it. The grateful little creature jumped round him and 
licked his hand for joy, and it was in fondling it that St. 
Clement observed some loose wool, which he gathered. 

While carelessly handling it the thought suddenly 
struck him that it would be good to bind up the wounds 
on his feet with. No sooner was it thought than done, and 
he found it so soothing that he immediately resumed his 
journey. 

At night when he came to remove his sandals he was 
surprised to find, instead of fine, soft wool, a piece of cloth, 
so firm and thick that he could not pull it apart. This was 



called felt, and St. Clement was made the patron saint of 
the craft. (However, it is only fair to state that, according 
to some authorities, there is abundant evidence to show 
that felting was known to the ancients long before the 
time of St. Clement or the Christian era.) 



The most ancient form of head wear we find to be the 
cap such as is seen on figures representing the goddess of 
liberty. Hoods, also, of various shapes, date back long 
before hats appeared, the latter for a long time only being 
employed as an article of extra clothing in winter, worn 
over the hood or when going on a journey. 



Among the ancient Egyptians very peculiar shaped caps 
were worn, like from Figures i to 7. Some of them would 
rise to a great height above the head, and then descend 
very low upon the chest in the shape of lappets. Those of 
the priests and of their attendants were often loaded with 
a profusion of symbolical decorations, composed of fea- 
thers, lotus leaves and other natural products. 

In religious processions it was common to wear masks 
that covered the whole head and neck down to the shoul- 
ders. These represented the heads and busts of various 
sacred animals, such as the ibis, hawk, bull, dog and ram. 



Our modern hat can be traced back to the pileus worn 
by the ancient Greeks when on a journey. Hats with brims 
were also worn by them, though some authorities claim 

—6— 



that the Greek citizen of mature years never wore a head- 
covering, it being confined to youths, workmen and slaves. 
'Y\\^ pileiis was a closely-fitting woolen skull-cap, which was 
sometimes worn as a lining to the helmet. It was adopted 
by the Romans at their public games and festivals by those 
who had once been slaves, and by the aged and infirm for 
sake of warmth. 

From ancient coins and medals we find that the Romans 
went bareheaded, except at sacred rites, games, festivals, 
and when at war. 

Baldness was looked upon by them as a great defor- 
mity, and Caesar, mighty conqueror though he was, yet 
could not make nature add one single hair to his very 
scanty supply, is said to have prized the honor of wear- 
ing a laurel crown above all the other dignities conferred 
upon him by the senate, as it served to conceal his 
weakness. 

In the city, to screen themselves from the heat, rain or 
wind, the Romans frequently threw the folds of their robe 
over their heads, but if they met any one to whom they 
owed respect, they immediately let the folds drop and re- 
mained bareheaded. 

Figs. lo and 12 are specimens of ancient Greek helmets, 
while Fig. 11 represents a young warrior equipped for bat- 
tle. Fig. 8 shows Xho. pefasHs, not greatly unlike our tennis 
hat of to-day. Fig. 14 is the Phrygian bonnet, which held 
its own for so many centuries. 



The inhabitants of Eastern nations always have their 
heads covered. In China the men wear hats in shape and 
size resembling large umbrellas, like Figs. 18 and 23, or 



else small conical caps similar to Fig. 17. These are made 
of beautifully wrought cane-work and often have pictures 
of birds and flowers painted upon them. They also have 
another cap, which though richer in material is not so 
graceful. It is similar in shape to Fig. 22, made of black 
velvet with a blue silk centre and a red tassel surmounting 
the top. The distinctive mark of different ranks among 
the mandarins consists in the color and value of the but- 
ton worn on the cap. Figs. 19 and 20 show the peculiar 
head-dress worn by the Japanese when going forth to 
battle. In Arabia, notwithstanding the heat of the cli- 
mate, the men wear a most preposterous head-dress. Fre- 
quently fifteen cloth or linen caps are worn one over the 
other, the upper one being gorgeously embroidered in gold 
with a sentence from the Koran worked upon it. Not sat- 
isfied with this curious coiffure they add to it by wrapping 
around the outer cap a large piece of muslin ornamented 
at the ends with silk or golden fringe, which stream loosely 
on the shoulders. 

A plume of white heron's feathers is the distinctive 
badge of a chief among the Uzbek Tartars. 

Throughout the East the turban is generally worn, its 
height being a mark to denote the rank of the wearer. 
In color it is generally of the most brilliant hue, and of 
richly embroidered materials. Great taste and ingenuity 
are exercised in the manner of twisting it around the head 
so as to make the folds appear as graceful as possible. 
The different turbans on page 9 give some idea of the 
various shapes they can be made to assume. 

Emirs or Shirrifs, descendants of Mohammed's daugh- 
ter, are alone allowed the high honor of adorning their 
heads with green turbans. 



On page 1 1 we have some types of African head-dress, 
Figs. 31, 32 and 34 showing what the natives of that dark 
continent have done for themselves in the way of head 
adornment, entirely unaided by fashion or the knowledge 
of what their brothers in other parts of the world were 
wearing. Fig. 33, though of Asiatic origin and finer work- 
manship, is quite as grotesque in design as anything the 
wild tribes of Africa could devise. 

At one time the Turks had a law by which none but 
themselves could wear turbans of rich texture. Their 
Greek subjects were condemned to wear dark cotton caps 
as a mark of their servitude. Armenians were compelled 
to appear in ridiculous-looking balloon- shaped caps, while 
the Jews were only permitted to wear brimless caps resem- 
bling inverted flower-pots. Later on, the Sultan issued a- 
decree that all of his subjects should wear a red fez instead 
of their turbans. This law was received with the most de- 
termined and indignant opposition. So obnoxious to their 
feelings was this change, that the discontented party set 
fire to the houses of all those who favored it, and though 
finally the Sultan's wishes passed into a law, it was years 
before many of his subjects became reconciled to it. Fig. 40 
shows a turban worn by one of the Sultans ; Fig. 41, the fez 
of the people. Figs. 37, 38, 42 and 43 on the same page are 
samples of Russian hats. In some parts of that country 
the head-covering of the people is made of birch bark and 
plaited grasses; but fur is the material most commonly 
used. The prevailing male head-dress of the inhabitants 
of Asia Minor appears to be the Phrygian bonnet, of which 
the characteristic features with them are its point on top, 
bent forward, and its long flaps descending on the shoul- 
ders. This style of hat was worn for many centuries, and 



trav^eled as far west as Venice, where the Doge always 
wore one. 

As a part of defensive armor the hat became the helmet, 
which has changed but little in shape from the earliest 
times. Very elaborate and fantastic were some of the 
early forms, with their double or two-story heads. Figs. 46 
and 47, to giv^e the impression of increased height. The 
workmanship, also, was ver}- beautiful, some of the ancient 
helmets being entirely covered with chasing and designs 
of the most intricate character. With the Greeks and 
Romans the subject of arm.or was onfe of importance, and 
from their ancient monuments we can learn much of their 
form and beauty. Page 15 shows several kinds of helmets 
worn during the middle ages. 

In Spain serious disturbances took place in Madrid in 
the eighteenth century over an attempt being made to 
banish the wmbrero. While in other countries the fashion 
of hats has been undergoing changes, in Spain the same 
shapes are worn year after year, with but little modifica- 
tion. Page 19, with the exception of Figs. 52 and .53, 
which are Mexican, show several forms of Spanish hats. 
Fig. 51 is the style commonly worn by the priests when 
traveling about. 

Page 21 gives some German types; Fig. 61 is the hat of 
a judge ; Figs. 58, 60 and 62 are military hats, while Fig. 63 
shows a Teutonic fool's cap decorated with bells. 

In France the clothing of the head has long been a sub- 
ject of special consideration, and many have been the styles 

—14— 




7''f ^f. 



that have emanated from there. At first, as in most of the 
other countries mentioned, hoods were worn, but when 
Charles VII. made his triumphal entry into Rouen, in 1449, 
he wore a hat lined with red velvet and surmounted with a 
rich plume of feathers. From this date hats and caps be- 
came general throughout France. 

A curious appendage that was worn with the hat for 
many years was like Fig. 66, consisting of a piece of black 
stuff which was fastened to one side of the hat, the other 
end being thrown over the left shoulder. This band was 
often held in the hand and the hat allowed to fall off from 
the head and rest on the back. 

Another peculiar head-dress was the Capuchin hood. 
Fig. 68. This had a long pointed tail that hung down the 
back, and in front was buttoned close up to the chin. 
Some gallants twisted the tails into all sorts of fantastic 
forms and carelessly poised them on the top of the head. 
With the shaven faces that were always worn with this 
hood, the men all looked very much like monks. It was 
fear of this appearance that induced Francis I. to set the 
fashion of velvet caps in his kingdom. Fig. 67 represents 
a French military hat. For the past fifty years the high 
silk hat has been the most popular style in France. 

At one time there was a law in France which compelled 
all bankrupt Jews to wear a green hat, so that people might 
avoid losses by trading with them. The slang expression 
" Do you see anything green about me," is said to have 
derived its origin from this circumstance. 



The early Anglo-Saxons for years wore no other cover- 
ing for their heads than their long flowing hair, which they 

—16— 



sedulously cultivated. When they did take to a covering, 
about the eighth century, it was in the form of a cap made 
most likely from the undressed skin of animals. The 
Britons, at the time of the invasion of Caesar, wore on 
their heads a conical hat, which derived its name from the 
cabin or hut in which they lived, it strongly resembling it in 
shape. Helmets, with a projecting piece in front called a 
nasal, were worn by the early Briton warriors. The nasal 
was afterward discarded, as it was found to afTord too 
convenient a hold to the enemy of the wearer, Stephen, 
at the siege of Lincoln, having been seized by the nasal of 
his helmet and held a prisoner. 

) It was not until after the Norman conquest that the use 
of hats became general in England. " A hatte of bever " 
was worn by some one of the nobles met at Clarendon 
about the middle of the twelfth century, and in the " Can- 
terbury Tales " we hear mention of the merchant wearing 
on his head a " Flaunderish bever hat." 

In the fourteenth century we find a very peculiar kind 
of head-gear popular in England, Figs. 70 and 72. First, 
on the head is a close-fitting skull-cap, which is encircled 
by a roll of cloth, flat like a band, or twisted turban-wise. 
Above is another piece of cloth, cut and clipped around 
the edges in all manner of queer shapes, the whole falling 
around the head in a confused manner. Such hoods were 
worn by the ancient Knights of the Garter, and are said to 
have been borrowed from Italy. 

It is in this same century that for the first time in Eng- 
land we find a feather in the hat, Fig. 75. It was stuck in 
perfectly straight in front, as they had not as yet acquired 
any grace in its adjustment. 

— 15— 



During the reign of Queen Elizabeth a great variety of 
hats and caps were worn. They were mostly made of vel- 
vet and richly decorated with jewels, bands of gold or sil- 
ver lace and feathers. A writer of that time describes them 
thus : "They wear them sharpe on the crowne, peaking up 
like the speare or shaft of a steeple, standing a quarter of 
a yard above the crowne of the head. Some others are 
fiatte and broade on the crowne like the battlements of a 
house. Another sort have round corners, sometimes with 
one sort of band, sometimes another ; now black, now 
white, now russet, now red, now green, now yellow, now 
this, now that — never content with one color or fashion 
two days to an end; and thus they spend the Lord's 
treasure consuming their golden years and silver days 
in wickedness and sin." Those must have been glorious 
days for the hatter when the fashions changed so rapidly 
that men were obliged to buy a new hat every two or 
three days. 

During this same reign laws were made compelling the 
lower classes to wear on the Sabbath a cap of peculiar 
shape and make. 

The escape of Lord Nithsdale from the Tower, in the 
early part of the eighteenth century, was principally 
effected by the large riding-hoods worn at that time, which 
he put on, along with his wife's dress and cloak. Such 
hoods were ever after called Nithsdales. 

On page 25 are pictures of some of the early forms of 
English hats. Figs. 76 and 78 belonged to the clergy. Fig. 
77 is a Scottish bonnet. 



The Puritans discarded all ornament of any kind 
— 20— 



from their dress and wore the steeple hat, high and 
narrow in the crown, with a broad brim (Fig. 83). The 
Cavalier of the same era wore a low, broad-crowned 
hat with a feather stuck on one side. The principal 
changes that have taken place in hats from time to 
time have been in the height of the crown and in 
the width of the brim. As this latter became wider it 
led to the device of looping it up, and thus originated 
the cocked hat that was worn during the eighteenth 
century. 

To all Americans this hat brings patriotic recollections 
of revolutionary days— for Washington and his generals all 
wore cocked hats. On page 27, Fig. 85, we have the hat of 
the "Minute Man." Also one worn. Fig. 79, during the 
good old Knickerbocker days. Fig. 84 shows the style 
of hat worn by Kossuth when on a visit to this country in 
1851. Previous to this time the only hat made for gen- 
tlemen was the high silk hat and cloth caps for boys, but 
a few weeks after Kossuth's appearance in the country 
thousands of hats similar to his were sold, the demand for 
them being universal. Since then soft and stiff felt hats 
have been brought to perfection in quality and style in 
this country far superior to any made abroad. This was 
shown in our Centennial Exhibition, in 1876, by Dunlap & 
Co. receiving the first prize for their productions over all 
competition of foreign and domestic manufactures. Figs. 
86, 87, 88 are three different styles of high hats worn about 
fifty years ago. In the latter part of the eighteenth 
century the gaudy ornaments of lace, jewels, feathers, 
&c., gradually began to disappear from hats, giving 
place to the sober black band and simple buckle, and 
when that, too, had its day and passed away, the hats 



of men were left without any ornament, but in much 
better taste and more in keeping with their use than 
were those of old. 

Hats have not only been used for the practical purpose 
of covering the head, but from remote time have played 
their part in many important actions in life. Among the 
Romans the hat was the symbol of liberty, and slaves were 
presented with one on receiving their freedom. The 
Quaker hat dates from the origin of the sect in the middle 
of the seventeenth century. Fig. 80. After the assassina- 
tion of Caesar coins were issued by Brutus and Cassius, on 
which was represented a cap between two daggers. Even 
at a later period the hat or cap was identified with liberty 
as in the republic of the Netherlands. After the emancipa- 
tion from Spain a hat became their national emblem, while 
we all know the part Gessler's hat played in gaining for 
the Swiss their freedom. The common practice of dofl- 
ing the hat when meeting a friend is thought to be a 
modification of the ancient custom of unclothing some 
part of the body when in the presence of one to whom re- 
spect was due. 

Many persons profess that from the dress alone they 
can give you a true estimate of the character of the man. 

While this is, perhaps, expressing it rather strongly, it 
is certainly true that the material and style of one's dress 
does, to a large degree, denote the wearer's character ; and 
especially is this so of hats and the manner in which they 
are worn. 

The man of refined tastes will always be found to be 
very fastidious in regard to his head wear, buying only the 
finest quality of hat, while a coarse nature will be satisfied 

—24— 



with a cheap slouch hat. The prosperous business man 
also can generally be picked out by his hat, it being some- 
thing substantial and good of its kind, while the man of 
mean and parsimonious habits will usually have a hat to 
correspond with his dwarfed nature. 

" Have a good hat; the secret of your looks 
Lives with the beaver in Canadian brooks ; 
Virtue may flourish in an old cravat, 
But man and nature scorn the shocking- hat." 



We have now followed a few of the changes that hats 
have undergone from the earliest times to the present, and 
would bring our remarks to a close with a notice of 
the house of R. Dunlap & Co., which was founded by Mr. 
Robert Dunlap in" 1857, who opened a small store No- 
vember 14, at 557 Broadway, between Spring and Prince 
streets, and by originality of designs and selling the finest 
class of hats, he soon became the popular hatter of the 
city. Two years later, in 1859, Mr. Paran Stevens, the 
Napoleon of hotel-keepers, induced Mr. Dunlap to occupy 
a store under the Fifth Avenue Hotel, which was just then 
completed, and who desired only those as tenants who sold 
the best goods in their line. At this time the hotel, situ- 
ated at the corner of Twenty-third street and Fifth avenue, 
was considered very far up town, and it was predicted that 
Dunlap's venture would be a failure; but the young and 
enterprising hatter soon became the leading hatter of the 
country. The firm remained there for twelve years, and 
then removed to their present location, at 178 and 180 Fifth 
avenue. Finding the demand for their hats increasing 
from the residents of Brooklyn, Jersey City and surround- 

— 26— • 



FALL STYLES, 1885. 




PRICE OF SILK HATS, $8.00 
In Ordering give Number. 



FALL STYLES, 1885. 




STIFF HATS, IN BLACK AND BROWN, $5.00. 
^ In Ordering give Number. 



FALL STYLES, 1885. 




N- 58S0F1. 



N^&9 




SOFT HATS, IN BLACK AND BROWN 
In Ordering give Number and state price of Hat desired. 



FALL STYLES, 1885. 




SOFT POCKET-HATS. IN BLACK. BROWN AND BLUE. 

In Ordering give Number. 



ing suburbs, in 1876 they moved their store from 557 to 
179 Broadway, near Cortlandt street, as their down-town 
store. 

The popularity of the Dunlap hat induced the firm to 
increase their manufacturing facilities by the erection of a 
large factory on Seventh avenue. New York, where all the 
silk and opera hats are made, and a straw-hat factory at 
132 and 134 South Fifth avenue, New York, and also the 
erection of one of the largest and most complete felt hat 
factories in this country at the corner of Park and Nos- 
trand avenues, Brooklyn. 

The growing demand for these hats in the West in- 
duced the firm to open a branch store under the Palmer 
House, Chicago, about three years ago, which has proved 
a grand success ; also, quite recently, they have opened an 
elegant store on Chestnut street, Philadelphia. Besides 
their own stores in New York, Chicago and Philadelphia, 
their celebrated hats are sold by authorized agents in all 
the principal cities of the United States, where the pa- 
trons of the Dunlap hat can purchase their hats of the 
same style, quality and price as sold by them in their own 
stores. 



.32— 



^^fe^^^'-^ 







CELEBRATED HATS 



AND 



:ADmS'*IPUND^^ IaTS. 



178 & 180 FIFTH AVE., 
Bet. 22d Se 23d Sts., New York. 



PALMER HOUSE, 

Chicago, 



181 BROADWAY, 
Near Cortlandt St., New York. 



914 CHESTNUT ST., 

Philadelphia. 



Authorized Agents in all Principal Cities None Genuine 
■without the above Trade-Mark. 



CORRECT STYLES. EXTRA QUALITIES. 



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